Romance at Short Notice
by pssbecca
Summary: Luna and Severus are as opposite as two people can be. With precious little time left, they must make every moment count. They must squeeze a lifetime into a few short weeks. Will there love be enough to sustain? AU, minor timeline changes.
1. Prologue

**Romance At Short Notice**

Light met dark in a tangle of limbs on a four post bed conjured in the office of Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master. At least that is what the name plate said on the desk next to them. Luna Lovegood wasn't sure how it was possible that this man was actually the almost- universally feared Snape. Nargles must have infiltrated his brain. She wasn't about to complain. All she knew at this moment was the feeling of his heartbeat, knocking through his chest and into her breast.

"Are you certain, my love? You know that nothing real can come of this. Although it is going to take wild thestrals to drag me away. Drag me away they will."

"I just want to feel. Just give me this Severus. This _is _real. This is now." It came out like a whispered prayer.

"Very well. I wish it were different, but we have precious little time. I will ensure you are protected in every way I can. Although I cannot see why you are at all interested in a bitter, spiteful, unkind old man, I want you to know that these last few weeks have been the best of my life."

"You are not bitter, spiteful, unkind or old. You are infinitely kind, brave, courageous, loving, and wise. And when I look into your eyes, all I see is the man that has sacrificed everything for people he doesn't even know, who certainly do not appreciate him. Do you know that it was the day that you gave us 'detention' with Hagrid that I my suspicions about you were confirmed? Though if I were really honest, it goes back quite a bit further than that," his moon lady said dreamily.

"I had suspected. You knew me for what I was certainly at the beginning of this term, and I always held the faith you had in me in deepest regard. There were times when that knowledge is all that got me through a day when everything around me was torture and death."

"Take me away from all this death."

"I've asked you a thousand times in the last weeks if you would please go to safety. I can send you someplace where no one will be able to find you. Where you will be completely safe for years to come. Please, Luna, will you go?"

Luna shook her head.

"We haven't much time. You must promise me that you will do exactly as I say when the time comes, go into hiding. I need to do what I must do, and I cannot complete the tasks if I don't know that you will be safe. Please, Luna," it was his turn to offer a silent prayer to a God he wasn't certain he believed in any longer.

"We do have all night though, he won't summon you before dawn?"

"If we are lucky, and somehow, it never seems that I am."

"How long do you think we have before active war comes to Hogwarts?"

"No more than a fortnight, I expect, given the information I have been able to glean probably closer to two weeks."

"That's long enough."

"I'm afraid that it has to be enough. It is all I can give. I am sorry that even that time will be fractured and stolen moments. I should never asked you to come here. I can't do this to you. I **won't **do this to you. "

"If it were an hour, it would be are not doing anything to me," she whispered. "It is my decision, my choice. Do you really think I can turn my feelings off like a switch? I am afraid that you mustn't think very highly of me then."

"I think more of you than you can possibly imagine. I, well, what I am trying to say, is that I feel that. I can't say this."

"You don't have to tell me," she whispered, her dreamy voice husky, with an amused twinkle in her eye, that the man who placed his very life in danger, whose bravery no one could ever assail, once all was out in the open, was afraid to tell a girl he loved her. "Show me."

With that his lips covered hers. He kissed her slowly, but with desperation. He drank her in like she was a cool spring and he was stranded in the desert. She tugged at his shirt and untucked it from the waistband of his trousers. She began to unbutton as quickly as her nimble fingers would allow. He reached for his wand to remove them with a spell. He couldn't wait any longer.

"No, my love, let me do this. Let me see you centimeter by centimeter." She trailed kisses down his bare chest as she completed her task, pushing the shirt off his shoulders.

He caressed her bottom, and rose pulling her up with him. He bent down and kissed her stomach and then reached his hands under the material of her dress. He pushed the cotton to her chest and lifted it over her head. "I just want to look at you. I want to remember this when I can no longer see you before me. His eyes focused on the discolored skin at her collarbone. "Who did that to you? Which one of those buggering uncivilized imbeciles did this to you?" He was suddenly angrier than she had ever seen him."

"It hurts only a little. I am fine. I promise."

"That is the last time your lovely skin will be marred by a mark. If I could I would take every instant of pain away from you. No one will ever hurt you again, as long as there is breath in my body. As long as you let me protect you."

"It is so very slight. There are those that are much worse off than me. They don't want to spill too much pure blood."

"No one will ever do it again. I will make certain of it, my moon lady. Never. You will spend nights here whenever possible. If not, then with Madam Pomfrey."

"They will suspect something then. It will only make it worse. It is fine, my protector."

"I love you, Luna."

"And I you Severus."

"You are mine."

"I am yours."

And with that, Severus came the closest he ever imagined he would get to heaven.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Severus Snape sat in the headmaster's office. The students would be arriving within the hour. He was not looking forward to their presence within the castle. This summer had been the lowest in his life. The semblance of a life he had cultivated over the last decade or so was torn down in little more than a flick of his wand. True, he had never had many friends, but he had colleagues and acquaintances and one true friend, whose life he had taken. True, it was akin to what the muggles called euthanasia, but he couldn't help feel like a murder. Sometimes when you are called something enough, even if it is not true, you can begin to believe it.

"Severus, you put an old man out of his misery. Nothing more, and nothing less. You did nothing short of heroic, and heroes lead the loneliest life of all," Dumbledore's portrait said.

"I realize that Albus, but be that as it may, this isn't going to make the road ahead any easier."

"Remember your promises, my boy. You have done so well. We are almost there."

"Have I ever forgotten a single promise I made to you?" And I don't want to think about 'there' right now. My whole life, I protected the son of Lily Evans, and now he goes in like a blind lamb to the slaughter. And I get the terrible pleasure of telling him about it."

"It is an unenviable position. The students are beginning to arrive, Severus, you may wish to go to the Great Hall post haste."

"Yet another 'pleasure' I am so looking forward to. Sitting at the staff table where the only two people who are willing to speak to me are Amycus and Alecto Carrow, two people I would prefer to hex just as soon as offer a greeting."

"Please, Severus, do whatever you can to protect the students from that pair. They are particularly sadistic. Sometimes I think that their cruelty is rivaled only be dear Bellatrix."

"As I am only too well aware, Albus. As I am only too aware."

BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK

Luna Lovegood usually looked forward to the start of term. This time, however, she set out for it with a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't put her finger on it, even as she sat with Ginny and Neville. She was sick with worry about Harry, Hermione and even Ronald Weasley, so she could not imagine what Ginny was feeling right now. She put her hand over Ginny's and squeezed it, letter her know that she understood and would be there for her. She hoped that Harry wasn't still trying to wear the red-headed boy's visage as a disguise. After just observing his mannerism for a moment, Luna had known, so she imagined that, say, an experienced legimens who happened to be a sociopath, would be able to tell right away.

When they finally pulled into Hogsmeade station, Luna's heart broke a little when she noticed that Ginny was able to see the thestrals. Though they were beautiful, gentle creatures, it saddened her that her friend's innocence had been taken away two years ago when they were at the Ministry. "Take a bit of meat, Ginny," she offered indicating the pile of raw meat on the ground. Ginny looked apprehensive. Luna was certain that she was having some trouble getting past the fierce look of the thestrals. "I know that they aren't the most delightful looking creatures at first, but they are so very beautiful. Look into their eyes. Luna knew Ginny would see intelligence, kindness, a little fear, pride and most inexplicably of all, love. She didn't know how the animals, with their freedom so restricted, could so love their captors. But they did. Completely unfathomably, she thought of Professor Snape and the late headmaster. Sometimes captors didn't restrict their prisoners with chains and fences; sometimes they restricted them with love itself.

Luna had seen all the evidence, probably with closer proximity than anyone other than Harry himself, and she couldn't help but think, on some level, that all wasn't really as it seemed. Just like the thestrals, she had seen, really seen, the eyes of Severus Snape. And unless she was mistaken, and she very rarely was, there was no real cruelty there. There were the tired eyes of a man who was almost completely broken, they were overwhelmingly filled with sorrow and perhaps saddest of all, resigned to their fate. Even in his photo in the _Prophet_ (and she could never admit to her father that she actually read the _Prophet_, and not always just for a laugh) underneath the forced bravado, there was not so much as a hint of real cruelty. The man's eyes were those of a man who was far older than his 36 years, and though they were completely devoid of mirth, somehow, not of gentleness. They were not the eyes of a man who would kill someone as kind as Albus Dumbledore while the man begged. She knew that he was not, as so many supposed, a man, who, like Voldemort, didn't understand love. No, if she knew nothing else, she knew that Severus Snape understood that love itself was the greatest and oldest magic of all. However, she thought that it was best if she kept this particular idea quite secret. She couldn't imagine that Ginny, would understand why she would have sympathy for Severus Snape, murderer of Albus Dumbledore and tormentor of Harry Potter.

She was proud of The Quibbler's recent articles regarding Harry Potter. The way people viewed the articles and the things that they said about them usually let Luna know if people were worthy of the time it took to speak to them. She didn't think she would ever be the same after the death of Albus Dumbledore, but life was beginning to return to what passed for normalcy in these dark days. After the assignation of Scrimgeor (apparently he was not really a vampire, or at least, the odds of that he diminished substantially) and the overthrow at the ministry, life was considerably harder for her little family. Her father showed no signs of breaking, fortunately. He would stand behind his stories.

"Ginny, Neville, who do you think will be teaching DADA this year?"

"Surely not _Snape _again. At least if he has so much of an iota of self-preservation in that greasy head of his. I'd certainly think that giving him his due would be worth the trip to Azkaban," Ginny spat the name

"And not Slughorn," answered Neville. "Must be someone new, I would think. Gran was a bit concerned about sending me back this year, but I needed to be here. Promised Harry I would come back here, didn't I?" Neville beamed.

Luna reached out and patted Ginny's hand again. There were tears in the girl's eyes at the mere mention of Harry Potter. Luna couldn't help but think that he was a bit foolish to think that leaving Ginny behind would keep her safe. Ginny couldn't hide the love that she felt for Harry anymore than Luna could avoid Nargles, but she shook her head and the strength that they had came to love in Ginny came back to the fore.

"So I guess we'll have to stick together then," Ginny provided.

"Alrigh' first years, into the boats. Prefects, you sort out everyone else into the carriages. No need to be shy, I'm not to bite any of yeh. Least not till we get to th' castle," Hagrid said with a smile. He winked at the trio of Ginny, Harry and Luna, coming toward them. "You lot bes' try to keep your heads down with them new teachers. You don' want to see the trouble they got planned for rule breakers. Hogwarts is a lot diff'ernt this year, I tell you. Never thought I'd see the day- Jus' get down to the feast, and keep your heads down and your mouth shut."

Ginny, Neville and Luna exchanged glances. They entered a carriage and were joined by shortly thereafter by Michael Corner, Lavender Brown, Ernie McMillan and Hannah Abbott. "Everyone glad to be back?" asked Michael, "I know that I for one can't wait to begin term. Although won't be the same without old Dumbledore. He was an institution in and of himself."

"It is so hard to imagine Hogwarts without Dumbledore. My father always said that Hogwarts was the safest place in the world because of Dumbledore. Even heliopaths wouldn't have dared breach the barriers," Luna offered.

Ginny laughed. "At least some things are still the same, my friend." She put her arm around Luna's shoulders, giving her arm a friendly squeeze.

Hannah took some butter beer out of her trunk and accioed some glasses from her purse, giving one to each of her friends in the carriage. "To Dumbledore, who is no longer with us and to our friend Harry Potter, who is out there, somewhere fighting the good fight, and to us. No matter what happens, as long as we're still here and we're still together, we're still winning. As my uncle's muggle wife says, 'la'Chaim!' To life!"

"To life," they all answered in unison.

"What do you think Hagrid meant when he said that Hogwarts is a lot different and that we should keep our heads down?" Neville whispered to Luna.

"I am not sure. I wonder if it has to do with the new professors. I mean Professor Snape is headmaster, so that must change things-"

"Snape murdered his predecessor so, I'd say that is a game-changer," Ginny provided.

"I just don't know what to think of- never mind was that just a crumple-headed snorkack?," Luna stopped herself. She'd find no one to agree with her hypothesis in this crowd, except maybe Neville.

"I wonder who will be the new DADA professor?" Michael Corner was trying to direct the conversation back to school. The truth was, all of them were frightened about what the new school year would bring.

"We were just talking about that. We've no idea," said Ginny.

"Whoever it is won't last more than a year, I'm sure. At least we have that to look forward to. Unless Snape really does decide to continue to teach it even as headmaster," Lavender laughed.

"I doubt it, although his commitment to the dark arts is second only to he-who-must-not-be-named, I don't think that anyone could serve you-know-who, run Hogwarts, avoid shampooing one's hair, and teach a course, all at the same time," Ginny giggled at Hannah's boldness.

Luna noticed that Neville wasn't really saying much; he was certainly even more pensive than usual. Lines of worry etched his forehead. Luna remembered Harry saying that Neville's boggart turned into Professor Snape. She reached next to her and squeezed his hand. She wanted her friend to know that she was there for him.

The carriages slowed and came to a stop. Professors Flitwick and Sprout were ushering returning students through the doors and into the Great Hall. Luna couldn't help but notice the downward cast of their eyes, usually dancing with such mirth. Tiny little Professor Flitwick seemed to have shrunk even smaller over the summer hols. As they entered the new era of Hogwarts, Ginny, Luna and Neville all left their childhoods behind forever.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"The headmaster would like to see you," sitting in the common room, Luna felt Professor Flitwick tap her on the shoulder.

"Oh. I wonder whatever for?" She wondered out loud- partly to herself and partly to her head-of-house.

"I'm sorry dear. He isn't likely to share that information with me, but he did ask that I give you this note."

"I better go. Is Snape's old office the new Dumbledore's office, or is Dumbledore's old office Snape's new office?"

"Well, it is for certain that you are still the old Ms. Lovegood. Thankfully, some things remain the same. In any case, Dumbledore's old office is Snape's new office."

She opened the note that Professor Flitwick had given her. It had exactly two sentences written upon it:

"Your favorite creature will guide you into the office. Beware the gargoyles, they are in a foul mood."

She giggled to herself despite herself. She imagined a sign posted in front of the gargoyles like the ones in front of muggle houses with dogs. "Beware of Gargoyles."

A few minutes later, she was walking across the grounds. The night air outside the castle was significantly cooler than it was back at her father's house. She enjoyed the crispness of it, but what was more, she loved looking up at the stars and feeling small. It was always remarkable to her that everywhere across the globe, men and women, children and adults, muggles and magical beings saw the same stars, and, if they let themselves, felt the same sense of awe. Usually, it made the world's problems seem miniscule, but she couldn't help but feel the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Severus Snape looked out the turret window and saw her approaching his office slowly, as if she were in the middle of a daydream. In all seriousness, it stood to reason that she was in the middle of a daydream. Luna Lovegood lived in her dreams. He hating having to do what he was about to do, but he had to do it.

Luna approached the gargoyles outside the door that led to the headmaster's office. Severus watched, unseen, as she reached up and tickled the gargoyle behind the ears, and as the stone creature practically purred. He looked on further as she bent over and whispered, "Crumple Horned Snorkack." It was such a simple motion that it broke Snape's heart just a little, despite himself. He never knew anyone who displayed such kindness to all creatures as she did, even seemingly inanimate ones.

"Enter," he said as she knocked on the door. "Would you like to take a seat?" He phrased it as a question, but it really was more a polite command.

"Good evening, Professor."

"Miss Lovegood."

"Do you know why I have asked you to come and speak to me?"

"I am not exactly sure, Professor. But I hoped you would tell me."

"Very well. There are actually several reasons."

"First, I want to tell you that you have a lot of potential, despite your more," he cleared his throat, "unusual eccentricities. Your potion making abilities are, I must say, quite remarkable. As you know, prior to my tenure as Defense Against Dark Arts professor, I also taught potions at this school, so I take quite pride in my abilities at both my own abilities at brewing and recognizing when others have aptitude. I do not give praise lightly. In fact, I rarely give praise at all. I will get to the point, however. Professor Slughorn's health is not what it used to be. He has requested that I name a student to act as an assistant. You will still be require to complete your own coursework and assist Professor Slughorn in the evenings. I will not lie and tell you that this will be easy, but I think it will be rewarding for you. I mentioned your name to Professor Slughorn and he seemed amenable to the idea. In addition to a small stipend he has agreed to help you with more advanced potion making. Is this something in which you would be interested?"

"I will have to think about it for a bit. Maybe speak to my father, but I think it could be a worthwhile adventure. It would take away from my research search into rare magical creatures, but I think it will be a valuable endeavor, especially if I can learn some more advanced healing potions. Are you certain that I am the best choice? I am certain there are more talented choices than me."

He wanted to tell her that she was wrong. She really was the best, that what she needed was confidence in her abilities. Instead he continued.

"There are other things about which I must speak to you this evening. Unfortunately, neither of them are near as pleasant."

She nodded in response as if telling him that she understood that he needed to do what he must do what he needed do, and that she wouldn't hold it against him.

"Very well. I will get right to the point. Your father needs to stop printing these subversive materials."

"If, by subversive materials, you mean 'the truth' I am not certain why he would ever want to stop printing it."

"Because it is in both of your best interests that he stop," his voice was nearly a whisper, just audible to Luna. Severus looked out the window, and then, putting his finger to his lip in the universal "shhh" sign, opened the door and looked outside before pointing his wand and incanting "muffiato."

"Please trust me when I say that, despite all evidence to the contrary, my goal is to protect the students of this school. I need you to believe me when I say that there are those in power who would use any means available to them to silence your father, should he fail to do so on his own. It is imperative that you do the utmost to convince him to either return to printing the ridiculous nonsense he hawked for years as opposed to the material from the last few weeks or close the Quibbler altogether."

She regarded him carefully for a moment. She was certain that the sadness she had noticed in his photo for a millisecond before it was gone. Was she mistaken?

"I am positive that, even if I did ask him to stop, he wouldn't do it. I don't think there is anything in the world that could persuade him to do that, and I don't think I would want him to change the course he has decided to take the Quibbler."

"Believe me when I tell you that those in power have certain methods of persuasion that can't be ignored and their effectiveness is only rivaled by their unconcionablilty. There are forces at work that you can't imagine and which I would prefer you didn't have to imagine. But trust me when I say this, girl, your safety may depend on it."

"Then, I am afraid I don't wish to be safe. I would rather be in danger fighting for my friends and my ideas than safe without them."

"I had a feeling this conversation would go this way. There is, unfortunately, one more thing I must ask of you."

"You seem to be full of requests this evening, sir."

"I wish it weren't the case, madam. I need to ask something of you, and I am afraid that I cannot give you any explanation as to why I am asking it. I can tell you that you will be placing both yourself and others in danger, but that I will do my best to mitigate that danger."

"Go on."

"Do you know what this is?" He indicated a beautiful gilded and bejeweled sword, resting in a case.

"I can't be certain, because I have never seen it before, but isn't that Godric Gryffindor's sword?"

He nodded. He hated lying to her, but he couldn't risk it. It would put both of them in terrible danger.

"I need you to steal it."


	4. Chapter 3

"I am not quite certain that I understand what you mean by 'steal it,' because unless I am quite mistaken, you have it already."

"I meant for you to steal it from me."

"Right now? I don't think that even my verdant imagination could comprehend why, if you want it to transfer from my possession to yours, you wouldn't just give it to me. And why me?"

He smiled. He couldn't help it. She was the most whimsical person he had ever known, and at the same time she was trying his patience, she was amusing him beyond measure. Her gift for stating the obvious was as refreshing as it was constant.

"Not right now, Miss Lovegood, at a time to be determined later. I thought that you and Ms. Weasley and Mr. Longbottom would be the best candidates. You are all courageous, bright, resourceful and, due to your association with the most well-known former resident of the house that bears Godric's name, you three would be the best qualified. You yourself will be of age in a few short days, which a benefit in this case. I also thought you would be the best to approach because, unlike the other two, thankfully, your intellect tends to be your overwhelming characteristic. Though, as a wise man once told me, 'Sometimes, I think they sort too soon,' I do think that you landed in the right place."

"Sometimes I am not quite so sure. Sometimes, I wish I got sorted into Gryffindor. Most all of my friends are there. Actually, almost all of them are Gryffindors. I sometimes think that Hermione and I were switched around. I walk by faith and she walks by sight. The answer is yes."

"To which question?"

"One and three, but not two."

"There is that infernal Gryffindor streak rearing its ugly head, much like your ridiculous hat," Serverus said dryly. "Please plan carefully for your endeavor. You will likely only get once chance. The only direction that I am at liberty to give you is that you must make sure you do it at a time when I am on the school grounds. Please do not forget that tid-bit."

"And you won't tell me why I am to do this, or what we can expect to gain from doing it?"

"I cannot. Although I have never given you a single reason to do so, I have to ask that you trust me."

"Although I cannot think of a single reason why I should, I do trust you, Professor."

"That settles it, then."

"Is that charm still holding? What was it anyway?"

"The charm is called 'Muffiato,' and it is quite useful. Those you do not wish to be able to hear your conversation will merely hear a light, buzzing sound, which to all but the most attuned to it, sounds completely natural. Do you remember how to do the wand movements?"

"I believe so."

"Then, I will remove my charm, and then we can see if you can put another in its place," he pointed his wand at the door and moved it back down to his side in a diagonal line. Then indicated that she should try.

"Muffiato," she said as she moved her wand in the opposite directional pattern.

"Passable. It is far more useful if you can learn to do it non-verbally."

"Is it working now? I will work on the non- verbal." She whispered.

"It is. No one can hear the contents of this conversation."

They were standing about ten feet from the door when she leaned in to whisper something in his ear. Before the teacher or the spy in him could stop him, he was inexplicably drawn to lean down so as to better hear her. "I think there is more to you."

With that she walked out of his office and started back to Ravenclaw Tower.

He watched her walk away until she faded from view.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Break~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning she awoke in no way ready to begin the new term. The new responsibilities about to be bestowed upon her were a lot to have sunk in overnight. Luna was never a morning person, but, she splashed frigid water on her face in hopes of making herself more alert. It only worked about half-way. She hoped she wouldn't have to take any of the pepper-up potion she brought with her. She only used it in emergencies, the burning sensation down her throat was too much for her most of the time. At breakfast she received a note from Professor Slughorn to meet him directly after lunch. Luna thought it best that Slughorn would have already eaten before their meeting. He was a man who liked his creature comforts, food was foremost among them. She was excited that her first class, Care of Magical Creatures with Gryffindors, followed by Charms with Professor Flitwick, lunch and her meeting with Slughorn, then Defense Against the Dark Arts with that new professor, Muggle Studies, which was now mandatory for some reason with the other new professor, and finally Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. It was a full day, but she was as ready as she would ever be.

Snape was beginning to regret having to ask Miss Lovegood to steal the sword. She trusted him, and he was using her as a pawn in this game. He felt like it made him little better than Albus. Despite the fact that even if Miss Lovegood knew, she and her friends would probably agree to the plan anyway, it still made him feel uneasy. But he also knew that telling her the truth would put her in tremendous and needless danger. He shut his eyes and shook his head. He would do whatever he could to protect her, to protect all of the students placed in his charge. None of them were in an enviable position, and no one knew what tomorrow would bring. Then again, none of them knew if they would even be here tomorrow.

Luna loved Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid's love of all animals, magical and non-magical was after her own heart. Like Hagrid, she thought that all creatures had value and purpose. They would be working on some prolocks. According to Hagrid, when they shed, the hairs left behind could be used in several potions, but they were quite frightened of humans. Luna thought that one just needed to let the creatures know that they weren't going to harm them.

The thought of potions made her think back to her conversations with Professor Snape last night. She was almost positive that there was something more to him than he, or anyone else, was leading her to believe. She couldn't get it out of him out of her head. As she walked toward Hagrid's hut to the lesson, she reminded herself that she had to give Ginny a message to meet her tonight and to bring Neville. She stopped at a tree near the lake and took out a scrap of parchment and a quill. She charmed the paper such that it would only reveal its message to the person intended, in this case Ginny. She was apprehensive about asking her friends to participate in a task that could potentially get them expelled or worse was not thrilling to her, but she knew that Snape wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important. He certainly wouldn't have asked them to do it if he didn't think he could protect them. "Meet me in the room after dinner. Please bring Neville as well. Please be as discrete as possible. ~ Luna" She saw Ginny and ran to catch up to her, dropping the note unto her pile of books, mouthing the words "Open it later."

Her lessons sped by before she had to meet with Professor Slughorn.

"I really appreciate the opportunity to work so closely with such a great mind," she told Professor Slughorn.

"Miss Lovegood, the Headmaster seems rather impressed with your abilities. Additionally, I remember your close friendship with Harry Potter." He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I do worry about dear Harry. I was close to his mother, as well, you know, but one must watch whose association he keeps these days. You, yourself would do well to heed that advice, Miss Lovegood." His voice returned to normal. "The work that we will undertake will be complicated and, I might add, quite important. You will be expected to spend at least 20 hours per week in the potions lab, including the time spent covering classes and grading assignments."

"I don't know if that would even be possible given the extra mandatory subject we are required to take this year. I received Os in all of my O.W.L.s and planned to take all of my subjects at N.E.W.T. level. I am not sure how I can manage."

"For a clever girl such as yourself, I am sure the ministry would take a special interest and allow you to utilize a time-turner. A former student of mine is the official in charge of determining which persons are granted permission to possess and use a time-turner. Given that and your status as a pure-blooded wizard, I am certain that even under the current regime, we can arrange it, if you are interested.

"I am most interested, Professor."

"Well, that should settle the matter. Oh, and Miss Lovegood, you said you wanted to sit for N.E.W.T. in all of your subjects. What were your plans for the future, if I might ask?"

"Assuming I have one at all, I was thinking of either becoming a magi-zoologist or going for combined training as an Auror/Healer. I know that they accept only the most promising in that program, but I've always felt that I could be of some good in that arena."

"If I were you, Miss Lovegood, should the ministry contact you regarding your future plans, I would stress the healer part. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will have quite a use for healers in the future, but I am afraid not much use for aurors or magi-zoologists- just a suggestion."

"Thank you sir."

"No, thank you, Miss Lovegood."

"While you are waiting for your time-turner to arrive from the ministry, I could certainly still use your assistance. I've assigned my third years two-feet of parchment on the draught of living death that is due tomorrow. I would be much obliged if you could pick them up tomorrow afternoon and grade them for me by Friday."

"Of course, professor."

With that they arranged for a time that Luna would pick the essays up and said their good-byes. She was much interested to see Muggle Studies had become a mandatory subject. The more she looked around, however, the more she noticed the absence of her muggle-born classmates. Had the school really expelled all muggle-born students? Had they really bought into the venom that Umbridge was spewing about "stealing magic?" Everyone knew that only wrackspurts were able to steal magic, not humans. Tsk. Tsk. She shook her head to herself as she walked into the Defense Against Dark Arts Classroom.

With a single look at the new professor, she had a surprising thought. For a notion came into her head that she never imagined she would think: She would have preferred Dolores Umbridge over this man any day. He looked down right evil. By the end of the class, she realized that looks were not deceiving.


End file.
